Confindustria Lombardia, as part of the activities of the Enterprise Europe Network, is promoting the following European consultations regarding the review of Directive 2006/1/EC on the use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road (e.g. lorries).

The consultations are aimed at SMEs and associations. Every operator will have the opportunity to respond to the questionnaire provided by the Commission, thereby actively contributing to the formulation of European policies of interest to them.

a) Hiring of vehicles for the carriage of passengers (buses):this consultation aims to assess the option of extending the scope of the directive to include the hiring of vehicles for the carriage of passengers (buses) without drivers. The proposed changes may have specific implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need to be properly understood and assessed.

To contribute to the consultation, please complete the questionnaire at the following LINKby 3 November 2016

b) Use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road:the directive in question ensures that companies throughout the EU can use hired lorries to carry out road haulage operations, provided that certain conditions are met. It allows Member States to impose certain restrictions: firstly, Member States may prohibit own-account operators from hiring vehicles with a maximum authorised weight (MAW) exceeding 6 tonnes. Secondly, Member States may prohibit companies from hiring or leasing lorries that are not registered in the company's Member State.

The directive aims to support more efficient use of available lorries, increase flexibility in the organisation of freight transport operations and thus boost the sector's productivity by allowing companies to hire vehicles. A recent evaluation of the directive has shown that the two aforementioned restrictions may lead to a decrease in the hiring and leasing of vehicles, thereby undermining the intended objectives. The revision of the directive aims to assess the possibilities for its amendment so that it can more effectively achieve its goals.

To contribute to the consultation, please complete the questionnaire at the following LINKby 3 November 2016

For further information, please contact:

Email: een1@confindustria.lombardia.it

Tel: 02 58370800